Graduates included Kendyl Black, Tommy Blankenship, Jeremy Crum, Michael Dunaway, Shannon Ellenburg, Daniel Farmer, Samantha Greer, Angela Hayes, Brenda Horne, Amanda Howard, Aubrey Kelly, Victoria Knight, Jordan Lee, Brandon Looper, Tim Owen, Lauren Pilgrim, Teann Pilgrim, Austen Richey, Jimmy Scruggs and Bobby Woods.
Courtesy photo
PICKENS COUNTY — The first class of the Leadership Enhancement Academy for Public Servants (LEAPS) graduated from the program last week.
The LEAPS inaugural class consisted of 20 emerging leaders in Pickens County government who were selected from various departments throughout the county. Over the course of several weeks, participants heard from county staff who have graduated from the National Association of Counties’ (NACo) High Performance Leadership Academy as well as from various leaders in the community, including Clemson Head Football Coach Dabo Swinney; Dan Crosby, owner of Metrocon, Inc.; Michael Cunningham, interim CEO of AnMed Health Cannon; Angie Farmer, executive director of Behavioral Health Services of Pickens County; and Sec. Will Grimsley of the South Carolina Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
Each participant demonstrated leadership by speaking in front of the class at least once during the program and by contributing to weekly cohort discussions about leadership in public service. Cohort members were strategically assigned to bring employees together who may not have previously worked together in order to strengthen communication and relationships between departments for more efficient and effective public service.
Those who wanted to gain a deeper understanding of county government as a whole had the option to complete two orientation to government courses through the SC Association of Counties’ Institute of Government to receive an enhanced certificate of completion.
Graduates of the LEAPS program were recognized by Pickens County Council Chairman Chris Bowers and Rep. Davey Hiott at a special program on July 27.
Graduates included Kendyl Black, Tommy Blankenship, Jeremy Crum, Michael Dunaway, Shannon Ellenburg, Daniel Farmer, Samantha Greer, Angela Hayes, Brenda Horne, Amanda Howard, Aubrey Kelly, Victoria Knight, Jordan Lee, Brandon Looper, Tim Owen, Lauren Pilgrim, Teann Pilgrim, Austen Richey, Jimmy Scruggs and Bobby Woods.
LEAPS Committee/Class Instructors included Jamie Burns, Katie Corbin, Austin Dunn, Trad Julian, Tyler Merck, Jamie Reynolds and Jessica Varney.